Process and tool for uniting sheets of foil



- E. E. HENDRIGK.

Process and Tool for Uniting Sheets of Foil.

No. 234,184. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

N.PETERS. PHOT0LITKQGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI E. HENDRICK, OF GARBONDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS AND TOOL FOR UNlTlNG SHEETS OF FOIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,184, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed March 29, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI E. HENDRICK, of the city of Garbondale, county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Process and Apparatus for Making Liquid- Tight Seams in Tank-Linings, ot'which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of uniting two sheets of a compound metal to make a liquid-tight seam; and it consists in making a liquid-tight seam in the linings of oil-tanks and other reservoirs for solid or liquid goods by lapping the edges of a compound foil composed of lead and tin and then passing an iron heated by steam to aregulated tem perature over said lapped edges, causing them to unite to form a single sheet, and which process and apparatus are fully set forth in the following specification, referred to in the appended claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a lining to tubs, tanks, &c., which is impervious to the contents, and at the same time allows the frame or outer casing to be made without much skill, since it need not be water-tight, thereby making a tub, tank, &c., absolutely tight at a slight costcompared with iron tanks or those provided with heavy lea-d linings; and, further, it prevents the wood, if the tank be composed of that material, from becoming impregnated with oil, or the water which may be mixed with the oil or settled below it.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tub or tank having a foil lining, made in one piece by joining the edges of the sheets according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of same. Figs. 3 and 4 show seams made by joining two sheets of tin-foil with and without solder. Fig. 5 shows the method of making a seam. Fig. 6 shows an enlarged section of a part of the tub or tank and lining. Fig. 7 is view of apparatus to make the seam, showing the heating-iron in section.

A is a tub or tank, which may be made oi wood or other cheap material, and without much care as to making its joints very tight. It can be made to represent a cask, if desired, and be retained in shape by iron or wooden hoops. This tank A is then lined with foil B,

(ModeL) which is a composition of two outer layers of tin and an inner layer of lead.

The foil is curved over the top of the tank, as at O, or may be otherwise secured.

In covering the interior of atank I prefer to cement the foil B to the wood by a suitable cement, E, as this prevents any possibility of its beingeasily detached or otherwise ruptured.

Myinvention is adapted to make tight seams in tea-boxes, tobacco-boxes, 850.; but since the foil is particularly applicable to make a lining for a tank or tub, I have described such a construction.

The formation of a seam or joint of two sheets of foil, I have discovered, can be done in a very simple and effective manner. It can be done in two ways-one by the usual method of soldering, as shown in Fig. 4, in which the sheets B B of foil are attached by solder D, and the other or superior Way of joining them permanently is by lapping the edges, as shown in Fig. 3, and then running an iron, F, heated by steam to a temperature sufticient to melt the tin, but not sufficient to melt the lead.

By this means last described the layers of tin next to each other, one on each piece of foil, become incorporated or consolidated into one layer, thereby making a perfect seam and a strong one.

A convenient tool for joining two sheets of foil is shown in Figs. 5 and 7, in which a hollow roller, F, is heated by steam from a boiler, G, to a temperature below the meltingpoint of lead, but above that of the tin. The attachment between the two sheets would be designated by D.

To operate the seaming-iron I proceed as follows: Steam is generated in asmall well-made boiler, G, by a coal or gas fire, and the pressure of the steam is raised until its temperature is sufficient to melt tin, or the outer layer of the foil, but not sufficient to melt the lead, or inner layer. The pressure for the given temperature being known, it is kept up in the boiler and regulated by the indications on the gage, and too great a pressure and temperature are prevented by a safety-valve, L. The steam of given temperature is then allowedto pass through a flexible pipe, H, by valve J,

and into the hollow iron F, which is provided with a handle. I, and after heating the iron it I passes off b v the pipe ll. By havinga flexible pipe, H, the iron F can he moved in any desired direction without moving the boiler.

The iron, as it is technically called, may be made of copper or other suitable conducting material, and may be rigidly attached to the handle I.

I do not confine myself to the exact construction of the iron F, as there are manyniodified forms which would transmit the heat of the steam more quickly to the foil. llythis application of steam-heat there is no danger of heatingthe seaming-iron to too high a telnperatllre, for the sai'etvvalve prevents that, and the whole tendency of the steam is to drop in pressure, and consequently in temperature, if it is not properly looked after. ll v this means it becomes almost impossible to spoil a single seam. no matter where it ma be located.

In lining a large tank it is evident that there will be required sometimes several dozen of sheets of foil, and all of these sheets must be joined together, and when attached to the tank the seams will run in all conceivable directions and places, and it is clear that by this new method of joining two sheets of foil the work can be done in an efl'ectual and expeditious manner.

Having now described my invention, What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described method of joining two sheets of compound foil of lead and tin, consisting in lapping the edges of the sheets and applyin; to such edges regulated steamheat at a temperature below the melting-point of the lead, but above the melting-point of the tin, over the said lapped edges, causing the two edges of tin in contact to form one layer, substantially III the manner and for the purpose described.

2. A hollow piece of iron provided with a handle, in combination with two steanrpipes, one to admit steam to heat said iron and the other to allow the spent steam to escape, substantially as described.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

ELI E. HENDRIUK.

\Yitnesses:

S. L. Bnowx, BEN. GREENs'rEI). 

